Call for Mail Art: Weird (existing) Animals!
Platypus, Tapir, Okapi, Echidna, Mole, Axolotl are some of my favourite animals. They have in common that they exist irl and that they are uncommon.
Which animal do you think odd?
Send your image of an unusual (existing, no fantasy) animal.
All media are welcomed, preferable postcard size (10x15 cms), maximum A4 (20x30 cms).
No jury, no fee, no return.
All weird existing animals will be published in this ongoing virtual exhibition.

maandag 30 september 2013

Again a beautifully painted envelope by Ruud Janssen from the Netherlands.
Showing two pairs of eyes, so two animals, Nocturnal Animals in fact.
Ruud wrote that these animals are living in couples and that I, by knowing this fact, should know them. But to be honest: I'm not sure whether these are Possums, or Barn Owls, or ...?

The same mystery concerns the animal shown here. The title says it's a spear point, but I almost am sure that this is an animal, too. Or at least this might be the habitat of the tapeworm.
Well, because it's an add-to-and-pass-on, I'll think of adding a specimen of such an animal to it. To be continued!

The scanned envelope on top shows a nice overview, but in real the colours are even more bright. The scan didn't pick up that, but my photo camera did a bit: see the neon pink colours right above, enjoy!

zaterdag 28 september 2013

Short after Ruud's previous animal, I was surprised by an other colourful envelop painting, created by Ruud Janssen from the Netherlands.
I hardly dare to guess which animal this is (I have several ideas) and wanted to remain silent, however Ruud unveiled a little by writing that this animal might be an 'angsthaas'.
We don't know if this animal exists in English language also. But literally 'angsthaas' means 'fear hare', which translated into English suddenly is a total different animal: scaredy-cat.

This animal I wouldn't call a 'Real weird animal' but rather a 'Real clever animal'.
Many years ago I used to have three albino rats at home as pets. They came from a university lab and were considered 'superfluous' and would have been killed together with more colleague rats, if not some student had tried to find a home for them in time. Luckily all of them found a safe shelter, and three of them became member of my - at that time one person - household. So funny animals, such a pleasant company!
And I learned that these animals really are clever and sympathetic pets. O.k., I admit: my little room mates had red beady eyes, which seemed weird to some people. And their long pink tail looks a bit weird, too. But turned out to be a super handy 'tool', a fifth 'limb' for holding balance, for climbing etcetera.

So I was happily surprised when Ciara Barsotti sent me this great little Pet Rats Zine. The reason to exchange mail was a swap about a totally different subject. So this Zine - and look at the great silhouet animal rubberstamps! - wasn't meant for this RWA-blog either. But as I regard Ciara as an amazing animal designer (and she draws much more, check her sketchbook for the SBP), I am happy to welcome these animals here.

zondag 22 september 2013

In order to fill out the 'Labels' section below, I always try to find out which animals the senders have been creating.
In case of the beautifully painted envelope by Ruud Janssen it remained mysterious...
Those big eyes make me think of the Balinese Dragon-Lion figure Barong.
However, it won't be the first time that I misinterpreted Ruud's abstract art work.

Thank you very much, hartelijk dank, Ruud, for this wonderful painted envelope and matching stamps!

Although we, many humans, think we are 'more' than animals, fact is that humans still belong to the large family of world fauna.
And this is not the first 'real weird animals' mail art with 'human beings' as a main subject. Dewi and Snappy and many more mail artists already contributed to this Odd Existing Animals project, intentional or not intending, by sending beautiful mail art.

This collage has been created by Colin Scholl from the USA. It reminds me of the fact that humans really follow weird instincts. Which raises very intriguing questions. High heels once were invented for good reasons: to not stuck in mud in former times when the streets weren't paved yet. And even men were wearing high heels in those days (for the Dutch-speaking, here's some explanation).
But why do high heels still exist? Why do (some, many, most?) men like to watch women's legs wearing this type of footwear, by which the wearer cannotflee in case of danger (maybe that's the reason!?! - however some ladies succeed!). Why do women pay a lot to wear footwear that not only causes hurt ankles but even halluxvalgus?
So this beautiful collage indeed belongs to this mail art project.

On the backside of this beautiful collage Colin surprised with another work of art: a fine pencil drawing. Which raises other questions: who's this man pictured? What is he doing, is he dreaming of women's feet or is he philosophizing on the meaning of life? Is he suffering a head ache, rembering a nice day or simply sleeping?
We'll never know, unless Colin draws a sequel to this nice drawing.

zondag 15 september 2013

A looong envelope.... Containing (among other interesting info and a message) four looong pictures from weird, interesting animals from the Azores islands. The fact that the animals were pictured on bookmarks, explained the curious size of the envelope.
Here they are:

The Azorean Bat, the Loggerhead Turtle, Cory's Shearwater and the Roseate Tern.
Obviously the illustrator had not intended these as mail art, but the fact they were send by snail mail in such a funny envelope, and that these animals indeed are weird, special, made me think they belong here, too.

Amazingly drawn by the Portugese illustrator Fernando Correia (his amazing website is worth a visit!) and sent to me by Eva. Moltes gràcies, Eva!

woensdag 11 september 2013

Yes! Here he/she is, with many thanks to Antonia Mayol from Spain: the Axolotl!
A really weird, weird real animal, kind of salamander so no 'walking fish' but an amphibian. Axolotls live in Mexico and are endangered. Fortunately Antonia Mayol created this one, and I will conserve it with might and main!

On the envelope some beautiful birds, on artistamps and rubber stamp prints (some of them re-stamped by the Dutch mail company)!
Thank you very much, Antonia!

zondag 1 september 2013

On the left a funny weird rabbit and on the right also a weird, er?? (Kangaroo, another Rabbit, Ray Johnson's Bunny Head?).
See also the great artistamp beneath!
Created and sent by Angela Behrendt from Germany. Thank you very much, herzlichen Dank, Angela!

Over mij

Click on the profile link below to see my three ongoing mail art projects:
Real Weird Animals,
Your Doctor in Mail Art, and
Our Solitudes.
Would you like to join? Mail me at heleen21artmail at yahoo dot com or see in the oldest messages for the snail mail address to send your work to. Thank you very much in advance!